RANCHO CORDOVA — One of Rancho Cordova’s most recognizable roadside landmarks was damaged early Saturday morning after a vehicle veered off Highway 50 and crashed into the property of Naturwood Home Furnishings, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The single-vehicle crash was reported around 3:30 a.m. when a driver traveling along the freeway left the roadway, plowed through approximately 75 feet of chain-link fencing and struck the store’s iconic wooden waterwheel before the vehicle overturned. Authorities said the engine block became separated from the vehicle during the violent collision.
The driver suffered major injuries and was transported for medical treatment. CHP noted that the crash appears to be DUI-related. The incident remains under investigation.
The impact left visible damage to the towering wooden structure that has stood as a fixture along Folsom Boulevard for more than four decades. The waterwheel, which is fully functional and accompanied by the sound of running water, has flanked the side of the two-story showroom since the store opened in October 1984. The collision also caused damage to an entry area window on the structure.
When Naturwood unveiled its 38,000-square-foot building that year, the immense waterwheel was incorporated into the original architectural design, quickly becoming a signature element of the family-owned furniture store. Generations of residents and commuters have come to associate the spinning wheel with the longtime Rancho Cordova business, making it one of the city’s most familiar commercial landmarks.
Located at 12125 Folsom Blvd., the showroom has remained a prominent presence in the corridor since its debut, with the massive wooden wheel serving both as a decorative focal point and a symbol of the store’s identity.
Authorities have not released the driver’s identity pending further investigation.
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